Player piano



April 15, 1930. F. 'r. KENT PLAYER PIANO Filed Feb. 15, 1928 TOR ATTOR Patented Apr. 15, 1930 PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK '1. KENT, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY PLAYER PIANO Application filed February 13, 1928. Serial No. 253,879.

This invention relates to player pianos and particularly to what are known as tracker bars or transposing devices, over and around which the music roll sheet is adapted I to pass for controlling the actuation of the several notes of the piano in playing the selection characterized by such music roll; and the object of the invention is to provide an improved structure in tracker bars or transposing devices of the class specified which Wlll largely eliminate the tendency of clogging or stoppage of the several suction passages, rendering certain keys of the piano inoperative and will further facilitate the cleaning of passages which may become clogged and to permit such cleaning operation in a very quick and accessible manner; a further ob ect being to provide a bar of the class described with an elongated passage arranged ad acent and in communication with the usual note controlling bores or passages extending transversely through said bar with means for placing said elongated passage in communication with the suction producing means of the apparatus, and further with means for permitting the cleaning out of such passage and the bores communicating with said key controlling ports; and with these and other objects in view, the invention consists in an apparatus of the class and for the purpose specified, which is simple in construction, efficient in use, and which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which: E

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a part of a player piano showing one form of my improved tracker bar and illustrating the method of its use.

Fig. 2 is a perspective and sectional view of the bar shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of another form of bar with parts of the construction broken away.

Fig. 4 is a detail, sectional view, similar to Fig. 3 but showing another modification; and,

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a tool which I employ for cleaning out clogged passages.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, I have diagrammatically illustrated certain portions of a player piano, to disclose the relative arrangement of parts, and to illustrate the use of my invention. In the drawing, 10 represents one form of tracker bar or transposing device, 11 one of the music rolls from which the perforated music sheet 12 passes over the outer arc-shaped surface 13 of the bar 10. The bar 10 is of substantially conventional form and is provided with the usual transverse ports or passages 14 spaced longitudinally thereof and opening outwardly through the central portion of the arc-shaped face 13, and tubes or pipes 15 are coupled with the rear or flat face 16 of the bar and communicate with the respective ports 14. These tubes or pipes extend to the chest 17 and are directed to chambers 18 having diaphragms 19 for valve elements 20. All of the valve elements 20 are mounted in" a suction chamber 21 to which the diaphragms 19 are exposed, and a suction pipe 22 is in communication with the chamber 21 so that when one port 14 is opened by a perforation on the sheet 12 passing therethrough, the diaphragm is raised as indicated at the right of Fig. 1, and the valve moved upwardly or backwardly by the suction in the chamber 21.

Each valve element 20 carries two flat disk type valves 23 and 24, the valve 23 normally closing the communication between the chamber 21 and the several bellows chambers 25 which control the actuation of independent keys of the piano in theusual manner, whereas the valve 24 controls the communication between the bellowschamber and atmosphere. Accordingly, when the valve element to the right, Fig. 1, has been raised and the valve 23 removed from its seat, the suction in the chamber 21 draws the air from the bellows chamber 25, closing said bellows, and this operation is permitted by virtue of the 010s ing of the valve 24.

The construction above described, is mere- 1y for the purpose of illustrating the use of my invention, and it will be understood that my improved tracker bar or device is not limited to any specific type of player piano apparatus or to the specific structure of the valve chest. In carrying my invention into effect, I provide one side of the bar 10 with an elongated chamber 26, which may be termed a supplemental suction chamber, and which may be molded, milled or otherwise formed in the bar. The inner end-of said chamber terminates short of but closely adjacent to the ports 14, and is placed in communication with said ports by separate small apertures 27. The walls of the chamber 26 are beveled at their outer ends as seen at 28 to receive a closure bar or strip 29 whichis held in place by a plurality of screws 30. The bar is beveled to seat snugly in the beveled walls 28 to seal the chamber, 26 to prevent air from entering said chamber except through the ports 14 and 27. A suction pipe or tube 31 iscoupled with the bar 10 and is in communication with the chamber 26 and is also placed in communication with the suction pipe 22 as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

In Fig. 3 of the drawing, I have shown a modification wherein a bar 1O" similar to thebar 10 is provided with a chamber 26 similar to the chamber 26 placed 1n communlcation with the ports 14 similar to the ports 14 by small ports or apertures 27*. In this construction, I substitute for the closure bar 29, a bar 32 pivoted at one end portion of the bar 10 as seen at 33, and the other end of which is secured in position by a screw 34.

The bar 32 may be of any desired cross sec-.

tional form and serves to close and seal the By virture of this construction, access to the chamber 26 may be accomplished in a very quick and simple manner in the repair or cleaning of the bar 10", as will be understood.

In Fig. 4 of the drawing, I have shown at 1O another form of bar, only a part'of the construction being shown, and this bar is of the same general construction as the'bars 10 and 10 and includes ports 14 and a chamber 26 soldered in position to form a permanent closure and seal for the chamber 26*. Prior to securing the plate in position, small apertures or ports 36 are drilled through the bar 10 and centrally through the ports 14 to place each of said ports in communication with the chamber 26" and the ports 36 extend through the opposite side wall of the bar 10 and open into enlarged threaded apertures 37 which are adapted to he closed and sealed by screws 38.

In apparatus of the class under consideration, heretofore it has been customary to pro- 'vide small apertures or ports termed bleed- In this construction, the chamber 26"- .is closed by a plate 35, welded, brazed or ers, interposed between the chambers 18 and 21 so as to facilitate the quick functioning of the valve elements, especially in returning the same from the open position shown at the right of Fig. 1 to the closed position shown to the left of such illustration. These aperturesbecome clogged by the transmission of dust and dirt as well as particles of paper from the music roll sheet, which are sucked through the pipes or tubes 15 into the chambers 18,-and when so clogged the valve ele ment operating in such chamber 18 becomes inoperative. To repair such inoperativeness,

.ithas'been necessary 'to disassemble the enthus the chamber 21, the latter functioning;

as the bleeder or relief. VVith-this improved construction, it will be seen that any particles of dust,dirt, paper or other matter that may operate to clogfor close any of the communicationsthrough the ports 27, 27 or 36 whil' causing the same result as with the apparatus as heretofore constructed and rendering the particular valve element inoperative, may be readily overcome 'in a quick, accessible and practical manner in one of a: number of ways for example, I provide a tool 39 in the form of a strand of wire havlng a right angle head 40 anda handle member 41. The head 40 is of such dimension astobe inserted into either one of the ports114', 14 or 14 'of the bar through theend of said ports opening outwardly through the curved or arc-shaped face of the bar, and then forcing the head 40 through the ports or apertures 27 27 or 36 to force the foreign matter into the chamber average type of player piano, the desired result may be accomplished without any difii culty whatever. However, should the congestion be acute: and involve several'of the keys of the piano, or should it be impossible'to make the repairas above stated, the'bar 29.

and 32 may be removed or swung into open position, or the desired screws 38 removed to facilitate the thorough cleaning out of the passages in question. In the latter cases, a

straight pin or barmaybezinse'rted into-and:

through the ports 27, 27 and 36 through the chambers 26 and 26* in the former cases, and through the threaded apertures 37 in the latter case. It will also be noted that in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the entire chamber 2626 is exposed, and a brush may also be introduced to thoroughly clean out this chamber as well as the separate ports 27-427 opening thereinto and into the ports 1414. In this connection, it will be borne in mind that with the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the pipe 31 communicates with the chambers 26 and 26 as in the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be understood that while I have shown a number of forms of construction for carrying my invention into effect, and have illustrated diagrammatically one use thereof, that my invention is not limited in these respects, and various other changes in and modifications of the construction herein shown and described may be made within the scope 1 of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A tracker bar of the class described having longitudinally spaced suction ports, an auxiliary by-pass suction chamber arranged longitudinally of one side of the bar and opening outwardly through said side, means for placing said chamber in communication with each of said ports, a rod-like closure member countersunk in said bar for closing the open side of said chamber, means for holding said closure member in place and one end of said member being pivoted to one end of said bar.

2. A tracker bar of the class described having longitudially spaced suction ports, an auxiliary by-pass suction chamber arrangetl longitudinally of one side of the bar, said bar having apertures for placing each of said ports in communication with said chamber, means on said bar to give access to said apertures and chamber for cleaning out congested communications between said ports and chamber, said means comprising a rod-like closure member of rigid material arranged within said chamber on the first named side of the bar and means for holding said closure member in place.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name this 7th day of February 1928.

FREDERICK T. KENT. 

